Just Me

DOUBLE STANDARD by Judith McNaught
Publisher: Harlequin
Date of Publication: 01/28/1991
Summary:

In the exclusive, glittering world of business superstars, Nick Sinclair was a legend...

The ruggedly handsome president of Global Industries handled his business the way he handled his women — with charm, daring and ruthless self-control. A man used to the very best, Nick hired Lauren Danner, and assumed the proud beauty would soon be another easy conquest. But Lauren's flashing wit and rare spirit dazzled him — and slowly, against his will, he was intrigued, challenged — and in love.

Yet Lauren was living a lie, a charade that became more dangerous with every passing moment. Trapped in a web of deceit, she fought her growing love for Nick. Her secret could destroy his fragile trust — and the promise of life with the most compelling man she had ever met!

Facts: I had no idea what the cover is showing until I am well on the tenth page of the book. I first I thought it was just blobs of reds and blacks. And because I do judge books by its cover, I didn't didn't pick this one up at the bookstore but online while I was browsing the summaries.

Beautifully, beautifully written.

Judith had done it again! She's... the bomb.
This books starts out with Lauren being a totally innocent naive virgin who believes that the dashing Nick Sinclair, who makes her swoon with his charms and kisses, is really in love with her. Naturally, because she's in love with him, it's logical that she should give him her body, too. Yes, she's a virgin. She hasn't been with anyone because she believes that physical relationships must happen after love.

Nick on the other hand, cast her aside after that one night with her. Hurt and betrayed, Lauren sets out to take her revenge of Nick, unknowingly teaches him how to love for the first time.

I love this book because it's realistic. It captures the very thoughts of the characters. If these characters were to be real, this would have happened. It's different from other books because well, throughout the first 1/3 of the book, I kept asking myself "why is she so quickly in love with him? If they fall in love that easily, what is there to read? After all, this is a romance book, right?" Not until I read the part when Nick casts her aside and lies to her that I realized I have been reading only Lauren's side of the story, which is obvious to why they are so supposedly quickly in love with each other.

Afterward is a heart warming tale about a man, being cast away by his own mother, learns how to love and allow to be loved in return. I don't want to go too much into detail because it would give everything away (and I'm tempting to do just that).

This book is another of my fav. books of all time. So I'd of course, recommend it to everyone.